One Lifetime
by Neoshipper
Summary: **UPDATED 6/9**Sakura has a chance to either save both her world and the new one, or destroy them. Chichiri/OC and Tasuki/Miaka
1. The one

AN: A new girl gets sucked into the Universe of the Four Gods. Unknown to her, she has the power to either save both her world and this mysterious new world; or destroy them. 

Contains Chichiri/OC and Tasuki/Miaka pairings and SPOILERS ^-^ This takes place sort of in the middle of the series, after Amiboshi dies. 

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The old woman hovered before the beast god. Her chapped lips were set in a thin line. She held a mirror in her calloused hands. 

"Are you sure this is the girl?" She asked, peering into the mirror. An image of a girl appeared. She had maroon hair that fell a little past her shoulders. Two side pieces framed her face and two more longer pieces covered her smiling green eyes. She wore a short brown skirt, white blouse, and a brown vest and jacket, indicating she went to the same school as the Suzaku no Miko. The beast god nodded. 

"I am sure, Taiitskun." He took the mirror from her hands and admired the girl. 

"Kawaii." He gently stroked her cheek through the mirror. Taiitskun frowned. 

"Suzaku-Seikun. Are you aware what the mistake of bringing her here is?" Suzaku nodded. 

"Hai, I do. If she fails, both worlds will be sent into turmoil. Demo, she will not fail. My Suzaku seishi shall protect her like she was their miko. And my miko will help. We will not fail." Suzaku boasted proudly. Taiitskun rolled her eyes.

"Suzaku, I leave the rest up to you. You must hurry though. Seiryu will also try to abduct the girl." She advised wisely. She snapped her fingers and a pink ball appeared before her. It popped, and with a poof of pink smoke, a seemingly young girl with an infantine amount of knowledge appeared in its' place. Her green hair floated around her like a halo as her eyes wandered around the room in excitement. 

"Nyan-Nyan! Escort Suzaku to Miaka's home world. He's bringing back...a guest..."

"Miaka's world!? Yay!" She shrieked gleefully. Taiitskun frowned. 

"It's not a game!" She barked. The Nyan-Nyan gulped and nodded. 

"Now hurry and go." Taiitskun shooed the god and the assistant away. Her eyes darkened. A feeling of dread filled her, but as quickly as it came, it left. She shook her head and disappeared. She had work to do.

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AN: Okay, that was just the prologue. ^-^ Anyway, couple of quick notes. I'm basing the Japanese school system on the American school system, simply because it's easier. Miaka is in 10th and Sakura (My original character, you'll meet her soon) is in 12th. Just needed to clear that up! ^-^

~*Neoshipper*~


	2. Leaving

AN: Okay, technically chapter one. ^-^ Sakura is my own character, and I **know** her name is not unique. Shhh! Anyway, Sakura, as a senior, is eighteen, forgot to add that. (But you probably already knew.) Enjoy!

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Sakura sighed as she adjusted the shoulder strap of her violin case. Her small purple bag swung idly from it's place on her left shoulder blade. In her right hand, she clutched a pile of three books she had used for a research report. Reluctantly, she stopped in front of the library. She frowned. Sakura greatly despised the library. Her book were always late and she owed a huge fine. She was almost positive there were criminal records and wanted posters of her posted throughout the library. Shaking her head at her silly antics, she opened the front door. A warm breeze surrounded her, warming her body instantly. She was glad to be out of the November wind, although she adored the month because it was her birth month. The smell of old books and ink was everywhere. She slowly approached the front desk where a young woman stood, reading a magazine. 

"Excuse me?" Sakura asked timidly. She leaned over to get a better look at the girls' name tag. 

"Excuse me, Yukari?" She questioned, hopping the faded letter on the name tag was, in fact, a 'y'. 

"Huh? Oh! Gomen ne!" She apologized, blushing, and shoving the magazine under a heap of paper work.

"It's okay, really. I was just here to return these books. They're kinda late." Sakura giggled nervously, a hand behind her head. Yukari nodded and took the books, scanning them into the computer. Her eyes widened. 

"You know you owe $10 in library fines?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Masaka!" Sakura groaned. Yukari nodded. 

"Ano...about that. I'm in a rush today, so can I bring it in tomorrow?" She began to shift towards the door, cursing the violin for slowing her down. Yukari nodded slowly. 

"Hai..." She shook her head and pulled the magazine she had hid out of its' place and began to read. Sakura let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. 

"I wonder what she was reading?" She asked herself as she passed a small hallway.

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'Scraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww!!!'

"Nani!?" Sakura jumped, the shrill cry startling her. What was that? She looked over her shoulder. Had anyone else heard it? If they did, it sure didn't look like it. She slowly walked into the hallway, passing various bending machines.

"Ohayo?" She peered behind the machines, curios to see if anyone would actually hide back there. She shrugged.

"Guess not." She turned around again and began to walk away. 

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'Scraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww!!!'

"There it is again!" She slowly turned around, just in time to catch a glimpse of a long red tail disappearing around a corner on the stairwell. 

"Matte!" She raced after it, clutching her violin and bag to close to her side so as not to loose or drop them. She stopped at the top of the short staircase and looked around. Where could it have gone? A red sparkled floated in front of her face. She caught it in her palm. 

"Glitter?" She questioned. It glowed for a second longer before it was gone. Sakura was confused. A thud from the door in front of her made her turn around. 

"In here?" She read the sign on the door. 

"Important Reference Room...Weird..." She shrugged and placed her hand on the cool metal of the doorknob. She hesitated a second before turning it. The door groaned in protest as she pushed it open. Checking once more over her shoulder, she ducked in and quietly closed it behind her. 

"Hello? Anybody?" She adjusted her bag and violin again as she walked further down the shelves of books. 

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Thump

Sakura jumped and turned around. There on the floor lay a book. It had opened when it fell, she noticed. She slowly approached it and squatted down, picking it up in her hands. 

"A blank page?" She raised an eyebrow. Then, to her shock, new text was being added, as if put there by a ghost. 

"Aiiiiie!" She shrieked and fell to her butt. The text stopped and the book began to glow red. 

"Nani?" She watched in awe as a small girl with green hair popped out. The girl floated for a second before turning to face her. 

"Excuse me, are you Sakura-san?" She asked politely, approaching her. Sakura nodded, dumbly. 

"Will you please come with me. Suzaku-Seikun really needs your help. He really does!" She begged. 

"Suzaku.....Seikun? Help? What are you talking about?" She laughed nervously. The book began to glow again and she scooted away on her butt. She watched a form pull through. This time, a rather large one. The light faded and in front of her stood a red phoenix. 

"N-Nani!?! What the hell is that!?" She pointed towards it. 

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'Child, I am Suzaku-Seikun. I have come to ask a favor of you.'

"Matte Matte Matte! You can talk!?" She gulped, her eyes wider than saucers. 

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'Maybe I should take a more...suitable form.'

He was surrounded by a bright red light, similar to the one before. Sakura shielded her eyes with her forearms. The light faded and she slowly removed her arm. She gasped. Instead of a large bird, stood a tall man. His red hair stuck up straight and his piercing eyes gazed into hers'. His outfit was quite lacking. 

"Is this better?" He asked. Sakura nodded and stood, bags still in tow, as she brushed herself off. 

"Now, I need to ask you a favor. The fate of both this world and mine depend on you." Suzaku watched her carefully. 

"What do you mean mine and your world? Aren't you from Earth?" She cocked her head to the side. 

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'Baka, Sakura! Of course he's not from Earth. He was just a bird five seconds ago!'

"Iie. I am from a separate world entirely. I need your help, Sakura-san. Time is running out." He explained. 

"Onegai! Help us!" The almost forgotten girl pulled on the hem of Sakura's skirt, tears in her eyes. Sakura's eyes softened as she scooped the girl up. 

"What's your name, little girl?" She cooed gently. The Nyan-Nyan (aka girl, if you haven't already figured out who she was) sweat-dropped. 

"I'll have you know, I am over fifty years old!" She snuffed hotly. 

"Nani!?" Sakura dropped her in shock. The Nyan-Nyan hit the carpeted ground with a soft thud. 

"Itai!" She whined, then glared up at Sakura. "I am a Nyan-Nyan. In case you were wondering." She folded her arms across her chest and looked the other way. 

"Gomen!" Sakura bowed her head in embarrassment. Suzaku cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the two girls. 

"Sakura-san. It will be greatly appreciated if you help us." He stated. Sakura nodded. Was this all a dream? 

"How do I know if this is real?" She asked suspiciously. The Nyan-Nyan pinched her leg. 

"Itai! Okay okay, it is real!" She reached down to rub her leg. 

"Will you come? Time is running out." Suzaku asked calmly. Sakura hesitated. What was she supposed to do? What would anyone else do if a strange bird man and a little flying girl popped out of a book and asked them to save two worlds? She frowned, then nodded. What could possibly happen? It was probably all a joke played by her friends Kris and Anna. They were always playing tricks on her. She nodded. 

"Hai, I'll help." 

"Yay!" The Nyan-Nyan spun in a circle, cheerful once again. Suzaku approached her and she took a step back. 

"Do not be afraid. Close your eyes." He instructed. Sakura did what she was told. Suzaku pressed to fingers on her fore head and muttered an incantation. Shortly, a symbol resembling a ying-yang appeared on her temple. 

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'So warm.'

Sakura welcomed the warmth that engulfed her. It was like someone was hugging her. Holding her tightly in their arms. She felt her feet leave the ground and opened her eyes in shock. 

"W-What the hell is this!?" Her voice shook as she looked around her. Something brushed against her leg and she looked down. It was her violin and her purse, now in a tangled mess. She sighed. At least she had her stuff. The light around her grew stronger and she panicked. 

"Iie! I change my mind!" She tried to move, but found herself frozen still. 

"Onegai! Stop!" She screamed. The light flashed and Sakura's eyelids began to close. 

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'Tired.'

She let her eyes shut and drifted off to sleep, tucked in by the light's warmth.

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AN: Well, how was it? I think it's going good so far, but that's just me ^-^ Anyway, please read and review. More on the way!

~*Neoshipper*~


	3. All alone and in the middle of no where

AN: More action in this chapter, I swear! This is where the Suzaku seishi come in...bwahaha! ^-^ 

Fushigi Yuugi does not belong to me. Only my clones of my sexy Chichiri and Tasuki do ^_^ And Sakura....but she's not sexy.

Sakura: Hey!

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Sakura's eyes fluttered open. She moaned lightly. What was she laying on? She rolled to her side and grabbed the offending object underneath her. A stick. In the library? She looked around. 

"I have a feeling I'm not in Japan anymore." She muttered, slowly standing up. Where was she exactly? And where was that guy? What was his name? Suzaku-Seikun....and Nyan-Nyan. Where did they go? She brushed off her dirty clothes, careful not to hit the violin. She had received that violin as a gift from her mother. Her father had left her when she was just a child. She remembered when she had gotten it. It was the only thing she had left since....that....happened. 

"Okaa-san...." She sniffled, then stubbornly wiped away her tears. Iie, she promised herself she wouldn't cry anymore. As long as she had her violin, a part of her Okaa-san was still with her. 

"Yosh!" She smiled and began her journey down the dirt path. 

After an hour or so of wandering, Sakura collapsed on a boulder and groaned. She slipped off her shoes and knee high socks before massaging her aching feet. 

"This is hopeless! Can things possibly get any worse?!" She whined. 

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Drip

Drip 

Drip

"Iie!" Sakura moaned, burying her head in her hands. She liked rain, but not when she was in it. Well as long as it didn't...

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Boom

Sakura winced. Too late. She was deathly afraid of thunderstorms. Normally, while at home, she would hide under her blanket. Imagine that, an eighteen year old hiding from a storm. She giggled and stuffed her shoes and socks in her small bag. It was amazing what she could fit in there. There was no use in getting her socks and shoes wet, she reasoned before standing. She hugged her violin to her chest to protect the case from the rain as she walked. A bolt of lightning streaked in front of her and hit the tree she was walking towards. It was a big tree. 

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crack

Sakura gasped as she heard the sickening crack from the tree trunk. She was frozen in her spot. Another bolt of lightning shook her out of her stupor. She sprinted towards the edge of the hill she was on. Trapped! It was at least a good ten feet down. She gulped. The tree let out a sickening groan before pitching forwards towards her. 

"Aiiie! She screamed and jumped back, unfortunately onto a patch of mud. 

She skidded down the hill on her back, all the while clutching her violin to her stomach on the way down. Her bag was torn from her grasp during the fall and its' contents scattered at the bottom. Sakura hit a rock with her shoulder blade and stopped the fall. She winced. Her whole body ached. She breathed heavily, laying on her back for a few seconds. It was pouring now. She could barely see anything. Thank god her violin case was hard. (AN: That sounds SO wrong x_x) She gently placed it on to the ground next to her and pushed herself onto her elbows, ignoring the searing pain her right shoulder. Slowly, she got to her knees, and with a tight grip on the tree next to her, she pushed herself to her feet. The whole back of her uniform was torn, exposing the tender, bloodied skin underneath. She winced as she took a step, then collapsed. She turned over and examined her swollen ankle. 

"Itai!" She whined. She was never going to get anywhere. She needed help. She shivered against the rain as each drop pelted into her. 

"Somebody! Help! Onegai!" She screamed over the storm. It was no use, she thought sadly. No one could hear her from out here. She whimpered and curled up into the fetal position, slightly shaded from the rain by the giant tree above her. 

"Onegai....Help..." Her lips were chapped and her teeth chattered. She gasped when a pair of feet stopped in front of her. Slowly, she craned her head to see who they belonged to. A young man stood before her. He had light blue hair and bangs that stood out in front of his face. He held some sort of umbrella, none like she'd ever seen before. He wore some decorative beads around his neck and some sort of blue cape draped across his shoulders. He kneeled down in front of her and Sakura was touched by the worry in his eyes. 

"Are you okay, no da?" 

"Onegai....Help." She whispered, shivering. The man wasted no time. He took off his blue cape and carefully wrapped Sakura up in it. Next, he grabbed her purple bag and whatever contents he could find, and her violin and hoisted them over his shoulder. He bent down one last time and scooped Sakura up into his arms. She shook violently against his chest. He frowned. If he didn't get her dry and out of the cold soon...she'd get sicker than she already was. 

"A-Ariga-tou." She said between the chattering of her teeth. He smiled and continued on his brisk pace to the palace, the girl tucked warmly in his arms. 

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"Oi! Where's Chichiri?" A man with flaming red hair asked as he kicked back in his chair. 

"I think he said he was going for a walk, Tasuki." A girl with auburn hair done into two odangos stated. He nodded. 

"It's raining really hard now, I'm worried." A young boy with his hair done up into a ponytail watched the rain from the room. 

"Don't worry Chiriko, Chichiri can take care of himself!" 

Chiriko looked towards the man with green hair. Miaka frowned.

"Aren't you the least bit worried, Tamahome?" She asked angrily, her hands on her hips. He looked at her, startled. 

"Miaka?" 

She glared at him before storming out of the room. A man with purple hair, Nuriko, and man with black hair, Hotohori, chased after her. Tasuki stood abruptly, knocking over the sake on the table. 

"Tamahome, what the hell are you doing? You and Miaka seem to be having these fights a lot recently!" Tasuki demanded. Tamahome shrank back. 

"I don't know, Tasuki. G-Gomen." He moved his seat away from the bandit and sat next to Chiriko. The boy moved away. Everyone was aware of the way Tamahome had been treating Miaka recently, and nobody knew why. Tasuki was especially pissed. 

"Now look...." Tasuki was cut short when the doors were pushed open and a wet man stepped in. 

"Chichiri! You're okay!" Chiriko ran to the monk, then stopped short. 

"Oi, who's that?" Tasuki asked, pointing to the hidden bundle in Chichiri's arms. 

"Make room for me to put her down, quickly, no da." He instructed. 

"H-Hai!" Tasuki and Chiriko removed the table of the food, all the while sending glares towards Tamahome, who proceeded to do nothing. Chichiri carefully placed the blanket down and unwrapped the person. Tasuki and Chiriko gasped. 

"It's a..."

"Girl..."

Chichiri nodded as he checked for a pulse. 

"Where is everyone, no da?" He looked towards the two active seishi. 

"Miaka ran off because of **somebody** in this room, and Hotohori and Nuriko went after her. Mitsukake was called off on a two day business trip to a nearby town." Tasuki explained, glaring at Tamahome when he had said 'somebody'. Tamahome quietly got up and left, heading towards the porch.

"We need Mitsukake, no da!" Chichiri frowned as he checked the girl over. Her skin was a pale, almost a greenish color and her breathing was shallow. There was no time to wait for Mitsukake, they had to do something now. Chichiri began to unbutton the girls' blouse, causing Tasuki to brush profusely as he covered Chiriko's face. 

"Hurry, get me bandages, a towel, a robe, and some medical herbs, no da." Chichiri asked the two. They nodded and ran off down the hall. Chichiri turned his attention back to the girl. He carefully removed her blouse and skirt and blushed. 

"Oi! Here Chichiri!" Tasuki walked into the room, all the items in his hands. Chichiri watched him, amused. Tasuki had a hand over his eyes as he tried to make his way to the monk. On his way, he knocked over a vase, walked into a table, and tripped on a rug. He finally succeeded in getting to the monk, then he quickly turned and bolted out of the room. Chichiri gently dried her off with a towel and flipped her onto her stomach. He then, unclasped her bra and wiped off the blood. Satisfied he had done a good job, he took some of the medical herbs and ground them into a paste. He carefully applied it to her cuts and bandaged her up. He turned her over again, relieved her chest was moderately covered, and slipped her into the fluffy pink robe Tasuki had provided. He pulled it closed and tied it in a bow before he decided he was done. 

"Chichiri?" Miaka poked her head into the room. Her eyes were red from crying, again. Chichiri frowned inwardly. It was no doubt something Tamahome did. 

"Hai, Miaka-chan?" He asked. 

"Who is that? Is she okay?" She rushed over to the girl. Chichiri smiled inwardly. It was just like her to be worried. 

"I don't know who she is, no da. I found her outside. She was asking for help, no da." He explained. She nodded, and her gaze went down to her swollen ankle. She gasped. 

"Her ankle!" She pointed out. Chichiri gently caressed it in his hand as he examined it. 

"It could be a sprain, no da." He took the slightly damp towel he had used to dry her and propped up her foot. Miaka studied the girls' face. It was pretty, she noticed. Her hair was plastered to her face and she could see smudges of dirt on her cheeks. She went to brush back her hair and gasped as she brushed past her forehead. 

"She's burning up!" She exclaimed, looking worriedly at Chichiri. He frowned. The girl's breaths were coming out in short gasps, sweat slowly trickling down her face. Small little whimpers of pain emitted from her mouth as she tossed her head from one side to the other. Chichiri didn't know what to do. Without Mitsukake, there was little he could do. 

"Keep an eye on her, no da." He said as he hurried out of the room. On his way, he brushed past five curious Suzaku seishi. 

"Oi, Mi-chan, is she okay?" Tasuki asked, relieved that she was in a robe. Miaka shrugged. 

"Her wounds are healed, demo...she has a high fever. And without Mitsukake..." She trailed off, turning again to watch the girl. Chichiri ran back in, a bowl full of assorted herbs and spices and a spoon in hand. 

"Chichiri? What are you...?" Nuriko watched him curiously. He placed the bowl down and began to grind the ingredients into a thick paste, similar to what he had done for her cuts. When he was satisfied with its' texture, he motioned for Tasuki and Miaka to help her sit up. 

"If I can get her to drink some of this, it should bring her fever down for the time being." He said as he held the bowl to her lips. With one hand he gently held her chin, the other, the bowl. Gently, he squeezed her jaw. It popped open slightly and he slowly began to pour the sour concoction down her throat. She gagged. Chichiri used his hand to apply some pressure to her throat, stroking it lightly to help her swallow. When she did, he continued until there as non left. 

"Sugoi! Chichiri, where did you learn to do that?" Chiriko asked excitedly. 

"I learned a few things from Taiitskun, no da." He grinned, placing the bowl aside. 

"Ano...maybe now we should move her into a room now. It can't be too comfortable sleeping on a table." Hotohori suggested. Chichiri nodded and picked her up, one arm supporting her head and the other underneath her knees. She mumbled incoherently in her sleep as the group made their way down the hallway. 

"You can put her in my room. There's a spare bed." Miaka said as she lead him into her room. 

"But that's where I sleep." Tamahome protested. Miaka's glare silenced him. Tasuki kept a straight face while he watched the events. Inside, he was beaming. 

"As I was saying, she can use this bed. This way I can keep an eye on her." Miaka helped Chichiri lay her down and covered her un to her chin. 

"What if she's trying to use us?" Tamahome muttered. 

"Tamahome, shut up before you get in even more trouble." Tasuki suggested smugly. Tamahome grumbled before leaving the room. Miaka yawned.

"It's late. I'll keep an eye on her for a while before going to bed, minna. Good night." Miaka smiled, waving the seishi out. 

"Miaka-chan, if you need anything, I'm right next door, no da." Chichiri pointed to the room to the right. Miaka nodded. 

"Arigatou." She smiled, then gently shut the door. What a confusing day, Miaka thought as she slipped out of her school uniform and slipped into her nightgown. As she was brushing her hair, her eyes drifted to the girl on the bed. 

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'She looks familiar...'

Miaka studied her carefully. Where had she seen her...

"Ahhh! I know!" Miaka said, smacking her fist in her palm. Maybe she had screamed a little too loudly. The door burst open and Tasuki and Chichiri stood in the doorway, alarmed. 

"Huh?" She blinked. Tasuki had his tessen out and Chichiri had his staff. 

"Did you just scream?" Tasuki asked while eyeing the room. 

"Gomen, it's just, I know this girl." She smiled sheepishly. Tasuki lowered his tessen. 

"You do?" He walked further into the room. Chichiri followed and shut the door. Miaka nodded. 

"She's a senior..." The confused looks on their faces told them she had no clue what a senior was. "Okay...she's eighteen, it's her last year in school." She reiterated. They nodded, still not too clear on the whole grade thing. She sighed, then continued. 

"Her name is Sakura. I've seen her playing the violin before. She's the concert master." She kept it short and simple, even though she knew it was no use even trying to. 

"Violin?" Chichiri asked, resting down his staff. Miaka nodded as she went to the small basin of water on her dresser. She dipped in a small terry towel and wrung it out before walking back over to the bed. 

"It's an instrument, something you play music on." She placed the towel on Sakura's forehead. 

"Oh." Tasuki said, twirling his tessen around in his hands like a baton. Miaka nodded. 

"Is she any good?" Chichiri asked. Miaka nodded enthusiastically. 

"She's wonderful! That's why she's concert master. I tried once to become friends with her, but she withdrew. In fact, she only has one or two close friends, and even they don't know what's wrong." Miaka frowned, but it soon turned into a yawn. 

"I'm tired. If you don't mind me, I'm going to sleep." Miaka said, shooing out the seishi. 

"Night Miaka-chan!" Chichiri smiled before leaving. Tasuki lingered in a little while longer. She had already fell asleep, he noticed.. Quietly, he snuffed out the candle and crept towards her bed. 

"Night, Mi-chan." He whispered in her ear before giving her a kiss on the forehead. He walked towards the door and before leaving completely, he turned around and looked at her. 

"Aishteru." He whispered before shutting the door quietly behind him. He was glad no one had heard his confession, or had someone?

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AN: What happened to Sakura and her okaa-san those few years ago? What was Chichiri doing in the rain? Where the **hell** did Suzaku and the Nyan-Nyan go!?

::cuts to behind the scenes dressing room:: 

::Nyan-Nyan sitting in a stool getting hair and makeup done, Suzaku reading a book, reading glassed on his nose::

Author: Suzaku....Nyan-Nyan....

Both: Ahhh.....

Author: Sakura was not supposed to be transported to the middle of no where!!

Nyan-Nyan: Ano...

Suzaku: ...

Look, even Suzaku is scared of my wrath ^-^

Wow! Longest chapter of any story I ever wrote! ::squeals:: Okay, I know in my on Mi-chan and Tasu-chan story Miaka got caught in a storm, passed out, Tasuki bandaged her, yatta yatta yatta, but I thought it was a good idea ^-^ 

Anyway, that was a fun chapter. Just wait until Sakura-chan wakes up ^-^ And also, I'm so sorry Tamahome fans! ;_; I love Tama but I need him to be out of the picture (don't worry, it'll take time.). Anyway, I made it something less...violent. (aka no death).


	4. Reasons

AN: Third chapter. Nuff said. ^-^

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Sakura remained perfectly still. She had woken up just shortly after she had been put into the bed she was in now. She pretended to be asleep during Miaka's talk. 

__

'I remember...' She thought as she listened to Miaka tell how she tried to become friends with her. Tears threatened to spill from her closed eyelids but she forced herself to remain calm. 

"Night Miaka-chan!" She heard the door close and opened her eyes a crack, then quickly shut them when she saw Tasuki still standing there. She heard him quietly approach the bed Miaka was in and he murmured something to her. Then he got up and just before he left, she heard him say, "Aishteru." 

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'He really loves her. I wish I could feel something as wonderful as that. Being loved.' She thought sadly. She turned over on her side, the towel slipped form her forehead. She frowned as she tried to recall the past events. She remembered talking to some kind of bird guy. And then she was walking, and there was storm. Then, she....fell, down a hill. And she was taken care of, by some mysterious man with blue hair. She sighed softly and buried her face in the pillow. Whatever it was she would think about it all tomorrow. Her head still hurt and she still had a cold. And on top of that her ankle and back were throbbing. She decided a little sleep would help, so she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

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"Excuse me? Miss?" 

Sakura forced herself to open her eyes and look towards her left, where the voice had been coming from. 

"Are you okay?" Miaka asked, placing her palm on the Sakura's forehead. Sakura nodded, then winced as she held her temple. 

"What....happened?" She asked as she forced herself to sit up. Her shoulder still stung, but thankfully not too much. A tangle of hair fell into her face and she groaned. 

"This is never going to come out!" She whined as she tried to run her fingers through it. Miaka giggled. 

"I guess you are feeling better. My name is Miaka." She smiled and offered a hand. 

"Sakura, demo, I already know you somewhat from school." Sakura sat up all the way, resting her back against the headboard of the bed. Miaka nodded. 

"Hai, I was telling my friends about how you play the violin and..." She stopped when she noticed Sakura was no longer in her bed, but limping around the room rather frantically. 

"Where is it? My violin! I need it! Onegai!" She pleaded Miaka. 

"Ano...are you sure you had it here?" 

"I'm positive. I need it!" She limped across the room, and on the way tripped on the rug. She shrieked as she tumbled into the dresser, knocking the basin of last-nights' water onto her head. Miaka sweat-dropped.

"Miaka? Is everything alright?" Tasuki entered the room as he stared at the miko. She nodded, then pointed towards Sakura. 

"Hai, but she might not be." She giggled lightly. Sakura frowned angrily, her arms across her chest as she glared at the confused seishi. 

"What's all the racket?" Nuriko asked as he stepped into the room, rubbing his eyes. 

"It seems the girl woke up." Hotohori said as he and rest of the seishi piled into the room. Miaka nodded, and walked over to help the girl up. 

"Here, let me help you." She took Sakura's hand and helped her up, pulling the empty basin off her head. Sakura went to take a step but stumbled, the pain from her foot intensifying from her little "show". Miaka quickly caught her. 

"Ne, can somebody help me out here?" She asked, looking at the seishi. Chichiri nodded and stepped forward. He gently took Sakura from Miaka and placed her down on the bed she was just on. 

"Matte! Where is my violin?" She asked, grabbing Chichiri's forearms. 

"Violin? Oh! That must be what Miaka was talking about last night, no da!" He disappeared. 

"Aiiie! What was that!?" Sakura pointed to where Chichiri once stood. 

"That's Chichiri, one of the Suzaku seishi." Chiriko explained. 

"Suzaku seishi? I only thought there was a Suzaku-Seikun." She muttered. 

"N-nani!?" Miaka sat down next to her. "What did you just say?" She asked. Sakura blinked. 

"I only thought there was a Suzaku-Seikun. I...well, you're not going to believe this, but he came out of this book in the library and you see....he asked me to save these two worlds...." She laughed, a hand behind her head. 

"Is this what you were looking for, no da?" Chichiri popped up in front of her. 

"Stop that!" She hissed. Her eyes lit up when she saw the instrument and she quickly grabbed it and held it to her chest. 

"Thank god." She whispered happily. Everyone watched her, confused by both her actions, and her story. 

"Okay, now, you say Suzaku came to you?" Miaka asked. Sakura nodded. 

"Hai, this little girl with green hair and..."

"Nyan-Nyan." Chichiri confirmed. Sakura nodded. 

"Then this giant red bird came out of the book. And it turned human! He said his name was Suzaku-Seikun, then he asked to help save both my world and his. Funny, ne?" She laughed halfheartedly. 

"There is only one person who can tell you why you are here." Miaka said frowning. Chichiri nodded. 

"And that's...."

"Me!" With a poof of smoke, Taiitskun appeared before them. Sakura blinked. Then screamed and latched onto the nearest person next to her; Chichiri. 

"Get it away!!" She hid her face in his shirt. Taiitskun grumbled under her breath. 

"Sakura, do you want to know why you are here?" She asked, sounding annoyed.. Sakura nodded and pulled away from Chichiri. Taiitskun cleared her throat. 

"There is a great darkness that is soon approaching. It will happen once Seiryu is summoned. Sakura is here to prevent both worlds from being destroyed."

"Matte! Me? I have no power. I think you've got the wrong girl." She giggled nervously, wringing her hands in her lap. Taiitskun floated directly in front of her and placed a hand on her right temple and concentrated. Shortly, a purple symbol began to glow, the symbol of a ying-yang, similar to what appeared when Suzaku teleported her. 

"What is that?" Tasuki asked as he pointed to her head. 

"This, is proof that she is the chosen one, who is to become a human sacrifice to save two worlds." 

"H-human sacrifice?" Her voice trembled as she watched the old woman. Taiitskun nodded. 

"A human sacrifice is needed to put an end to all of this. If not, everyone will be destroyed." 

"So you're saying, I can refuse and die, or I can accept and die?" Sakura asked sarcastically. Taiitskun face faulted. 

"Well if you want to put it that way..." She muttered. Sakura couldn't believe it. She would have to...sacrifice herself in order to save everyone here? And at home? Her eyes brimmed with tears and she struggled to her feet. 

"Arigatou, I...need to think about this....I'm going for a walk." She whispered as she staggered out of the room and headed outside. Taiitskun frowned. 

"Why isn't she healed? Where is Mitsukake?" She asked Miaka. 

"He was called on a trip to another town to heal someone. He will be back tomorrow." She informed her. Chichiri excused himself and left. He didn't really know the girl very long, but something kept nagging at him. Would he and the other seishi just sit there and watch her sacrifice herself to save them all? He looked up and realized he was in front of the pond, hidden from view in the bushes. He approached it, but stopped short. Sakura was there, her knees tucked under her chin and an arm wrapped around her legs. Her other hand was on the moss, keeping her balance. Silent tears trickled down her face as she watched the water. Once and a while a fish would pop its' head out. Chichiri hesitantly walked a little further until he was about five feet away, then cleared his throat. Sakura jumped and spun around. 

"Oh, you startled me." She quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. 

"Gomen, I was acting pretty childish back there, ne? I mean, to think you have too trust me to make the right decision." She laughed bitterly and picked up a smooth pebble that was near her leg. She threw it, and it skipped across the water twice before sinking. 

"Iie, you have a right to be scared." He sat down next to her and removed his mask, something he rarely did, yet alone with someone he barely knew. Sakura's eyes widened when she saw his face. Hesitating, she raised a hand and began to lightly trace the faded scar. Chichiri flinched, but let her continue. 

"What happened?" She asked as she pulled her hand away. He shook his head. 

"Nothing. It was a long time ago, no da." He smiled and placed it back on. Sakura frowned. 

"Why do you wear a mask?" She watched his expression carefully. 

"It makes people uneasy to see someone with a gruesome scar across their face, no da." He looked down at his hands.

"Iie. I think you look, handsome without it." Sakura smiled shyly, a blush creeping into her cheeks. Chichiri's head shot up and he looked at her in shock. She giggled. 

"Well, I have to get back there. I'm sure that old lady is waiting for my answer." She smiled shakily as she stood. She gasped when she felt an arm snake around her waist. 

"You shouldn't be walking on that ankle, no da. I'll help you." Chichiri whispered into her ear. Blushing profusely, she nodded and allowed him to help her walk back into the palace. 

__

'Somehow...somehow he understands how I feel.' Sakura thought as she eyed him from the corner of her eye. A real smile graced her mouth for the first time since she got to this new world as the two continued their walk back to the palace.

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AN: Yay! I'm so proud of myself ^-^ Anyway, this story changed a lot. I started writing it on paper first, and then completely changed it around. Some examples? There were TWO Nyan-Nyan that came with Suzaku. Sakura was attacked by some drunk guy when she first came to this world. Mitsukake was there when she woke up and healed her right away. Sakura was never a human sacrifice ^-^;;

Anyway, read and review please! 

~*Neoshipper*~


	5. Attack!

AN: Fushigi Yuugi does not belong to me, only Sakura, but I went through this already. Oh, and just some random little things:

Sakura is semi based on me- she has a similar personality to me. And the whole violin thing is because I plan to major in music as a violinist, so I thought it would be neat to put that in. ^-^ Okay, now, on with the fic!

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It had a been week since Sakura had arrived in this strange new world. She told Taiitskun that she would have to think about her decision, begging everyone to understand. Mitsukake came back later that day, a little early, and healed her right away. She had befriended Miaka immediately, and the Suzaku seishi soon after, although Tamahome didn't seem to like her all that much. It was mid afternoon and Sakura was sitting in her room, idly plucking the strings of her violin, the bow resting on the dresser. A knock startled her and she turned to see Chichiri, one of the closer friends she had made here. She smiled. 

"Ohayo, Chichiri!" She chirped, continuing to pluck. He smiled warmly and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. 

"Sakura-chan, how come we haven't heard you play yet? You say your violin is so dear to you, no da. Would you mind playing?" He sat on the bed and removed his mask, something Sakura insisted on having him do whenever in private. Sakura shrugged. 

"I don't know. I guess you guys never asked." She stopped plucking and picked up her bow. 

"I'll play for you now if you want." She said almost shyly. She didn't know why she was nervous, it was just Chichiri. She had to do solos all the time at school. Chichiri nodded. She placed the violin between her shoulder blade and her chin and corrected her hand position. She silently tapped out a beat in her head and then began. 

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Miaka sniffled as she wiped away the tears on her cheeks. She and Tamahome had another fight. This one was bigger than the others. 

"Mi-chan? What's wrong?" Tasuki came up behind her. She turned to face him and forced a smile. She knew he hated it when she cried. 

"Nothing. Just another fight with Tamahome." She sniffled again and turned away, her chin trembling slightly. Tasuki cursed silently. 

"I'm sure you'll fix everything, Miaka. Ya always do." He smiled, although inside he wasn't so sure. 

__

'Could we go back to the way we were, Tamahome? Will there be a next time?' Miaka hid her face in her hands and sobbed. Tasuki was taken aback by her sudden burst of tears. He hesitantly wrapped an arm around her shoulder and whispered in her ear. 

"Shh, it's okay." Her cries subsided and Tasuki let her rest her head on his chest. 

"Arigatou, Tasuki." She giggled a little.

"No problem." His breath tickled her ear and she blushed. They were close. Tasuki slowly began to lower his head. Miaka's eyes widened. His lips were about to meet hers' when a haunting melody made its' way to her ears. 

"What's that?" She pulled away form his embrace, almost unwillingly. Tasuki groaned on the inside. 

"What's what?" 

"Shhh!" Miaka silenced him and began to walk off towards the sound.

"Miaka?" Tasuki followed her. Miaka stopped in front of Sakura's room and pressed her ear to the door. 

"It's so pretty. And...sad." Miaka frowned as Tasuki came up next to her. She motioned for him to listen and soon, they were both leaning on the door. 

"Oi, what are you two doing?" Nuriko asked as he stopped by the two. 

"Shhh!" They shushed him and continued to listen. He shrugged and soon he too had his ear pressed up against the door. The pressure of the three of them leaning on the door caused it to burst open. The music stopped as three bodies came tumbling in, Nuriko on the bottom, Miaka in the middle, and Tasuki on top. They moaned. 

"What are you doing?" Sakura giggled as she watched them untangle their limbs. 

"We heard music." Miaka explained guiltily. Sakura smiled. 

"I was just playing a piece for Chichiri. You could have come in." She shook her head and looked at Chichiri.

"If they're always like this I better be careful." She joked. Chichiri nodded, smiling. 

"They can be nosey at sometimes, no da!"

"I just came by to tell you guys that lunch is ready." Nuriko informed them, finally remembering his task. 

"Yay! Food!" Miaka jumped to her feet and raced down the hallway. Everyone sweat-dropped. Tasuki and Nuriko followed. Sakura and Chichiri stayed in her room as she put away her violin. 

"Can I ask why it means so much to you, no da?" Chichiri asked quietly as they walked down the hall towards the dining room. Sakura tensed. 

"Ano...I'm not really ready to talk about it." She admitted, watching her feet as she walked. Chichiri nodded. He knew how she felt, he wasn't ready to tell anyone about his scar yet either, only Miaka knew. The rest of the walk was silent, as was lunch. After Miaka had inhaled her tenth plate of food, she spoke. 

"I'm bored!" She frowned and rested her chin on top of her folded hands. Sakura giggled lightly and Miaka eyed her wearily. Then, an idea popped into her head and she jumped up, shaking the table and startling everyone. 

"Sakura!"

"Nani?" Sakura was picking the rice off her lap from Miaka's antics. 

"Let's go shopping!" She chirped. Eight pairs of eyes fell on her. Sakura raised an eyebrow. 

"I have no money and I don't like to shop." She shook her head and brushed the remaining rice off her lap. Miaka's jaw dropped. 

"Doesn't like to shop!?" Before she knew what was happening, Sakura was being dragged out of the room by the Suzaku no Miko. 

"Sayonara! We'll see you later!" She happily dragged the protesting Sakura out of the palace. The seishi blinked once. Twice.

"Are you sure it's wise to let them go off on their own like that?" Mitsukake asked, petting Tama, who had been with him on his trip. Nuriko nodded and sat back in his chair. 

"It's fine! Nothing will happen." He closed his eyes and rested his arms behind his head. After a brief argument, they decided it was okay to let the go because they hadn't sensed any danger in the last week. Tasuki frowned as he looked out the window. He had a bad feeling about this. Before he could do anything about it, Nuriko grabbed his arm and dragged him off down the hallway, babbling about something to deal with rice balls and magic hats.

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"Oh! This last one, onegai? Onegai Sakura?" Miaka pouted as they stopped in front of what seemed to be the only store they hadn't gone in. Sakura groaned, but nodded. Miaka once again grabbed her arm and yanked her into the shop. A small bell sounded as they entered and Sakura almost choked, the smell of must and mold getting to her. Miaka hadn't noticed and she squealed as she pulled out a lavender kimono and held it up to Sakura. 

"Sugoi! You have to buy it, Sakura-chan!" Miaka insisted. Sakura wasn't listening though. She was eying the old man who had came out from the back room and was now behind the counter. He smirked at her, one that sent chills up her spine. 

"Miaka, let's go, this place is giving me the creeps." Sakura nudged the younger girl. 

"Nuh uh, I'm having too much fun! C'mon, buy it!" 

While Miaka insisted on her buying the dress, the old man stepped out from behind the counter, his eyes glowing an unnatural shade of blood red. Sakura gasped and quickly grabbed Miaka around the waist. 

"What are you...?" She stopped when she eyed the man. Her eyes widened. Sakura looked around frantically. She spotted a glass window and sprinted for it. 

"Hide you head!" She instructed as she shoved her shoulder through it. Miaka shrieked and did as she was told. Glass embedded itself into Sakura's skin. She winced and gritted her teeth as she fell onto her back, Miaka on top. She gently pushed Miaka into a sitting position. 

"Are you okay?" She asked, checking for any wounds. The only she could find was a shallow cut on her cheek. Miaka's eyes were wide with fear as she nodded. Sakura helped her stand, then looked her urgently in the eye. 

"You have to get the others. I can't do this by myself." She instructed. 

"But I haven't paid for the dress!" She pointed to the lavender kimono that was still in her hands. Sakura rolled her eyes. 

"Go!"

Miaka nodded and took off down the street, just as the old man stepped out of the building. By now a crown had surrounded them, whispering and muttering words of confusion. 

"Just wait, After I take care of you, I'll go after the Suzaku no Miko." His palms began to glow the same red as his eyes. 

'Hurry, Miaka.' She prayed.

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Miaka was gasping for breath as she reached the palace entrance. She sprinted in and no sooner than she had gotten there, did she run into someone. That someone caught her before she hit the ground. She looked up, her face flushed, as she continued to take deep breaths. 

"Tasuki?" She gasped out. He nodded, confused. He had just gotten through with Nuriko's "rice ball-magic hats-and a cup of sugar trick" and he was still trying to figure out the point of the whole thing. 

"Mi-chan, what happened? Where's Sakura?" He carefully wiped away the blood from her cut. She jerked away and hunched over, trying to catch her breath.

"Wewereshoppingandthisstrangemancmaeoutandattackedandsheflewthroughawindowandnowshe'shurtandfightingthisstrangeguyyougottahelpher!" 

Tasuki blinked. 

"Come again?" 

She took a breath before starting again, this time the abbreviated version. 

"Sakura jumped out a window and now she's fighting this old guy who has funny red glowing eyes!" She tugged impatiently on his sleeve. His eyes widened and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her with him as he ran into the palace. 

"We gotta get the others." 

'I just hope we're not too late.' Miaka prayed as they raced into the palace.

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Sakura coughed violently as she clutched her stomach. Blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth. 

"You bastard." She rasped out before breaking into another fit of coughs. The crowd around them watched, stupefied. Sakura had tried numerous times to ask them to go get help, but they just stood there and watched. She slowly pushed herself up from her kneeling position and stood, swaying slightly. She knew she couldn't stand one more blast. The man smiled proudly. 

"What an accomplishment for me! Nakago-sama will be so pleased I was able to capture you!" He happily clapped his hands together like a little child. Sakura winced, feeling her own blood seep through her fingers and down her legs, staining her school uniform. 

"Now, I have to finish this." He stalked up to her. She tried desperately to get away, but tumbled to the ground, too weak to stand. He towered over her now, a content look on his face. He pulled out a small glass vial from his coat, a shimmering blue liquid inside.

"Open wide!" He uncorked the top and held her chin in his hands. She tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong. Tears brimmed her eyes as he slowly began to pour the liquid down her mouth. She tried to spit it out, but only succeeded in choking. Some of the sour concoction made its' way down her throat and she grimaced and began to cough violently, hunched over onto the ground. 

"There there." The old man patted her teasingly on the back. She glared at him with bloodshot eyes. 

"Rekka Shinen!" 

A blast of fire hit the old man. He jumped away from Sakura and nursed his burnt arm. 

"Sakura!" 

Sakura looked up. Who was calling her? She could barely tell anymore. Miaka, Tasuki, and Chichiri ran to her. 

"This is all my fault, if I had just been quicker!" Miaka sobbed into Tasuki's chest. Chichiri gently placed a hand on Sakura's arm. Mitsukake came up behind Tasuki and quietly mumbled something to him. He nodded and with Miaka still in his arms, he walked back to the others. Tamahome glared angrily at him. Chiriko watched from his spot behind the emperor, fearfully. The old man cursed and began to run away when a strong grip on his arm stopped him. 

"Not so fast. First, what the hell did you do to her?" Nuriko growled, twisting his arm in an abnormal way. 

"It's a power potion! A power potion!" He cried out as he yanked his arm free. 

"Power potion?" Nuriko repeated.

"It will bring out her full potential! Just like Nakago-sama wanted!" He quickly ran off.

"Nakago!?" Hotohori glanced worriedly at Sakura. Now that Nakago was involved, they would have to take extreme precautions. The crowd was ordered to leave. They slowly began to separate under their emperors' command. 

. Mitsukake kneeled down next to Sakura and Chichiri. He frowned. Numerous shards of glass were imbedded in her skin, some too deep to even see. She had many other battle wounds, many which dripped blood onto the dirt city street. Mitsukake raised his hand and it began to glow green. 

__

'Warmth.' 

Sakura thought as she passed out. Strong arms caught her and cradled her protectively to their chest. The group headed back to the palace, Sakura sleeping in Chichiri's arms.

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AN: Aww! Poor Sakura-chan! ::cries:: Anyway, I don't know if they have glass windows in Ancient China, don't really care ^-^ 

What plans does Nakago have for Sakura? What does that 'power potion' do? Will Sakura ever finish the song she started in the beginning of this chapter!? Stay tuned until the next chapter to find out!


	6. Past Lifetime Long Forgotten

AN: Wheee! Chapter 6! ^-^ I think I'm having too much fun writing this story. I need to write my other stories! Ack!

Warning: A little bit of foul language (like one or two words, no biggie) and Tasuki and Miaka kawaiiness! Yay! A little bit of sensuality, not much. 

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__

A twelve year old Sakura laughed as she watched tv. Her feet were dangling carelessly over the arm of the couch. Her back was propped up with two pink and purple pillows that matched the sofa slip. A loud bang was heard from behind her and the front door swung open. 

'Strange, Okaa-san isn't supposed to be back for another hour.' Sakura turned and gasped as a man barged into her house. She scrambled off the couch and ran to the corner, trembling. The man took another step in, breathing heavily into his ski mask. Sakura whimpered and shrank back. The man's intense gaze landed on her and Sakura shrieked in shock. He came barreling towards her, leaving her no means of escape. 

"Okaa-san!" She screamed, crying as the man grabbed her roughly by the arm. She struggled against his grip, only causing more pain in her hand. 

"Bitch." The man slapped her across the cheek. She stumbled out of his grasp and fell clumsily to the floor. The man got down on his knees and pulled her to him, roughly pressing his lips to hers. She punched and kicked, trying to break free. He only held her tighter. His hands roamed over her body and soon found their way up her skirt. 

"Get away from my daughter!" A woman stepped into the house and the man pulled away from the young girl.

"Okaa-san!" Sakura clutched her ripped blouse to her chest and scrambled behind her mother. 

"I already called the police and they're on their way." She warned, showing him the cell phone in her hand. He cursed under his breath and drew out a gun. Sakura whimpered and hugged her mom. 

"Bitch. I'll kill you both right now!" He aimed the gun at Sakura and pulled the trigger.

"Sakura! Watch out!" Her mother pushed her out of the way. The bullet hit her in the chest.

"OKAA-SAN!!!" Sakura crawled over to her mom.

"You're next." The man aimed the gun at Sakura. She sat silently, waiting for her death blow. 

"Freeze! Drop the gun!" An officer ran into the house, gun in hand. The robber made one attempt to shoot but the police officer knocked it out of his hands. 

"Sa...kura?" 

"Okaa-san!" Sakura grabbed her mother's hand. She opened her eyes and smiled.

"Silly Sakura. I told you to call the police if anything ever happened." She coughed.

"Okaa-san, gomen! I'll be careful next time! You'll see!" 

"Sakura-chan, remember, I'll always be with you. Aishteru. Never give up...your dream." She winced, more blood pouring out of her wound. 

"Okaa-san!" Sakura shook her head wildly. 

"Sakura....will you please, play me a song?" Her mother smiled weakly. Sakura nodded and quickly ran into her room and appeared seconds later with her violin. Police officers had begun to enter the house now.

"We need an ambulance!" One yelled into a walkie-talkie. Sakura kneeled next to her mom.

"Which one, Okaa-san?" She sniffled.

"My favorite one. The one about the angel." She whispered. Sakura nodded and began to play. Her mother hummed along to the music. 

"Hmmm hmm, hmm.....hmm...Sakura....?" She looked up at her daughter.

"H-hai?"

"I have to go now. I'll always be with you...Aish-ter-u, Sakura...chan...."

"Okaa-san!"

silence

"Okaa-san!?"

silence

"OKAA-SAN!!!"

"Come on, we need to get you out of here." A man gently took Sakura by the arm and pulled her away from her mother.

"Iie! Iie!!!" She tried to pull away, violin still in hand. 

"IIE!!" She sobbed as they placed her in the back of a police car. She pressed her hands against the window and watched in horror as two men dressed in white carried away a stretcher with a body on it.

"What are you doing to her!? Stop it! Stop!!!" She pounded against the glass as the car began to pull away. 

"Okaa-san!"

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"Okaa-san!" Sakura's eyes shot open and she sat up, panting.

"Sakura?"

"Iie! Iie!" Sakura held her hands to her head and began to rock back and forth. 

"Sakura-chan! Calm down, no da. It was a dream!"

"A...d-dream?" She looked up uncertainly. Chichiri was the only one there with her, she noticed. 

"Hai, you were calling out in your sleep, no da. What were you dreaming about?" He gently rubbed her back. Sakura collapsed into Chichiri's arms, surprising them both. Sobs wracked her body as she clung tightly to his shirt. Chichiri continued to rub her back and quietly assure her she was okay and it was all a dream. Her whole body trembled as she cried, the dream bringing back painful memories of her past which she had buried long ago. 

"Sakura?" 

By now Miaka and the six other seishi had appeared in the room. They watched the young girl and the monk with curiosity and worry. Miaka hesitantly approached the two and placed a hand on Sakura's back. 

"Sakura? What's wrong?" Miaka gently pried as everyone watched. Sakura shook her head as she continued to cry. 

"Can you guys leave for a minute? I want to talk to her." Miaka asked quietly. They nodded and left, except for the exception of Chichiri. He gently pulled her away from him and stood, heading towards the door. 

"I'll call you when I'm done." Miaka assured the concerned seishi. He nodded and shut the door behind him, leaving the two girls alone. Sakura was curled into a ball, now crying silently. 

"Sakura? What's wrong? We can't help you if you don't tell us." Miaka brushed back the hair that was stuck to Sakura's face. Small beads of sweat covered Sakura's body. 

"I-I....." She couldn't bring herself to say it. 

"You can trust me. I won't tell anyone else, I promise." Miaka soothed. Sakura looked up, her eyes uncertain and brimmed with fresh tears.

"I...want to tell you. I really do. But... It's too hard." Sakura admitted, ashamed of her childishness. 

"This is eating you alive! It's not just now I've noticed it, but any time you speak of your violin! Please, I'm begging you, I want to help!" Miaka felt tears well up in her eyes. It hurt her to see her friend like this. 

"Please don't cry, Miaka. I....Okay." Sakura lowered her eyes and took in a shaky breath before beginning. 

"One day, this....man, broke into my house when I was young. My okaa-san wasn't home, so I was all alone. He found me.....and tried to take off my clothes." She took a deep breath before continuing. 

"My okaa-san showed up before he could do much, and told him she already called the police. He took out a gun, and he...." She gulped and bit her bottom lip. 

"....It was meant for me, It's all my fault! The bullet meant for me went straight through my okaa-san's chest!"

"Sakura!" Miaka had a hand to her mouth and her eyes were wide. Tears started flowing over them and onto her cheeks. 

"That violin is the only thing I have left that reminds me of her. She gave it to me after she divorced my dad....." Sakura began to cry again as she wrapped her arms around her waist. 

"You see this?" She asked suddenly, pulling out her arm. She lifted up the sleeve and showed Miaka the dimming scar. 

"....Sakura! You-you....!?" Miaka was in shock. To think that this girl could have such a horrible past. 

"...Hai. It seemed to be the only way at the time. But they found me." Sakura laid down on the bed and cried into her pillow.

"S-Sakura. I don't know.....I....."

"Leave."

"Nani?"

"Leave. I want to be alone." The words came out colder than she had meant. Miaka let out a choked sob and ran from the room.

"Gomen, Miaka."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Mi-chan?" Tasuki watched the Suzaku no Miko run down the hallway. 

"Oi! Miaka! Wait up!" Tasuki ran after her, determined to find out what she was so upset about. Miaka collapsed in a clearing hidden by trees. Tasuki cautiously approached. 

"Mi-chan?" He asked quietly. She either didn't hear him or showed no sign she knew he was there. He slowly walked in front of her and squatted. 

"Miaka?"

She jumped and she looked up. Tears were still falling from her eyes. Tears of sorrow and confusion. Confused as to why Sakura had asked her to leave so coldly. 

"W-what is it T-Tasuki?" Miaka sniffled as she looked into the fire seishi's eyes. 

"Don't cry. I hate it when you do that." He used his thumb to wipe away some of her tears. Miaka hugged the seishi tightly and cried into his shoulder. He gently caressed her body to his as he whispered in her ear. 

"Mi-chan, don't cry. What happened?" He slowly pulled back and kept his arms on her shoulders. 

"Nothing." She muttered, wiping the remaining tears off her face.

"Two words for ya. B.S." 

"Actually, you should say two letters." Miaka giggled lightly as she rubbed at her puffy eyes. Tasuki grinned, at least she wasn't crying. 

"Now, tell me what happened." He asked seriously. 

"I can't tell you everything. Sakura told me what was wrong....and then she just asked me to leave. But I guess I should have expected it, I mean, after all she had been through...." Miaka babbled, tucking some loose hair behind her ear. 

"I'm sure she didn't mean it." Tasuki reasoned. Miaka nodded and stood. Tasuki did the same. 

"I guess we should go back now." Miaka said quietly as she turned to go. Unfortunately, being the klutz she was trademarked to be, she tripped over a root. She shrieked out in surprise as she fell forward. She put her hands out in front of her and closed her eyes. Instead of meeting with the earth, she met with something soft. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up into a pair of bemused amber eyes. 

"Baka." He chuckled as she blushed and pushed herself up. 

"A-Arigatou." She stuttered, chewing on her bottom lip. Tasuki continued to stare. When Miaka felt his intense gaze, she looked up and gasped. He could feel her shallow breaths against his cheek and he fought back a groan. They were close. Tasuki slowly lowered his head, giving Miaka time to react. Miaka watched, shocked, as his lips came closer to hers. Before she had time to think, his lips came down onto hers in what at first was a seemingly innocent kiss. Both people let their eyes slide close as they savored the feelings it brought. Tasuki gently ran his tongue over her lips, coaxing her to open her mouth. She moaned and her lips parted, allowing Tasuki to explore her mouth. Her hands made their way to his hair and she hesitated before running them through it. Tasuki pulled her closer until her chest was against his. His hands lightly roamed up and down her back, causing Miaka to shudder. He gently nibbled on her bottom lip, causing gasps of pleasure to arise from Miaka's mouth. 

"T-Tasuki...." Miaka whispered his name as he slowly began to trail kisses down her neck. Tasuki continued to plant kisses on her neck, savoring the sweetness of her skin. 

"This is wrong." Tasuki reluctantly pulled back, surprised the words came from his mouth first and not Miaka's. Her eyes were still closed and she was panting. Somewhere during the kiss they had moved against a tree, one which Miaka was leaning against to support herself. Tasuki gently ran a finger over her swollen bottom lip, which caused Miaka to open her eyes. He slowly pulled back and they just stared unsure of what to do. 

"...We should get back." Tasuki muttered. Miaka nodded and pushed herself off the tree now that her legs felt sturdier. She slowly followed Tasuki out of the clearing and back to the palace, neither saying a word. 

"That bastard...." A man stepped out of the bushes, angrily gritting his teeth. Tasuki would pay.

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AN: Okay, who knows who the man in the shadows is!? ^-^ I had fun with this chapter. Anyway, I will write more, but first I should update the other stories. ^-^

~*Neoshipper*~


	7. To be or Not to be a Human Sacrifice

AN: I'm way too attached to this story, which is normally a good thing, but I need to update other stories. ::groans::

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Sakura cried silently, staring off into space. How could she have done that to Miaka? She hated herself for it. She idly twisted the small ring on her right hand and sniffled. The door was slowly pushed open and Chichiri stuck his head in. 

"Sakura-chan?" He asked, almost afraid. Sakura bit back a bitter laugh. Of course he was afraid. She would be too if she had to deal with someone like herself. 

"What?" She asked bluntly, hiding her face in the pillow. She heard him step further into the room and the door closed with a light click. 

"What happened?" He asked quietly. She felt the end of the bed sink down, and she assumed he had sat there. 

"Nothing, I'm just being my stupid self." She muttered, letting her tears continue to mix with the pillow. 

"Sakura, I don't think…"

"Just leave me alone! Please!?" She yelled, sitting up and looking at him through puffy, red eyes. His expression remained the same as he stood and walked towards the door. Sakura's eyes widened and she reached a hand out to his back. She opened her mouth but no words came out.

"Gomen, Sakura, I'll leave you alone now." He said, his back still to her as he walked out the door. 

"Ch-chichiri…" Sakura felt fresh tears brim in her eyes again as she buried her head back into the pillow. What had she done? She had already gambled her and Miaka's friendship, and now Chichiri's? She couldn't take it anymore. She silently pushed herself out of bed and grabbed her violin and purse out of the corner of the room. She took one last look around to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything before quietly opening the door and stepping out. It was late, so she figured she had a good chance to get out of there without being seen. 

"Gomen, minna. But I have to see Taiitskun now." She whispered to the air. It was true, if she saw Taiitskun now, she would be able to give her an answer. She smiled sadly before slipping out of the palace. 

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"Sakura? I brought you something to eat!" Miaka said through Sakura's thick doors. Truth was, she was praying that Sakura wasn't mad at her and that she could get a chance to talk. Not only about Sakura's past, but about Miaka's problems as well. She shuddered at remembrance of the kiss she and Tasuki shared last night. 

"Sakura?" She hesitated before pushing the door open. She stepped in, using one hand to balance the tray of food. 

"Sak-…" She stopped when she noticed the room was void and the sheets on the bed were made. The tray dropped to the ground, the cup and saucer shattering at impact. 

"It's all my fault." Miaka whispered, hugging herself. 

"Miaka, are you alright?" Nuriko popped his head into the room and gasped at the mess of broken glass and food. Miaka shook her head and launched herself into Nuriko's arms. 

"It's all my fault! I shouldn't have pried, she's gone!" She hid her face in the man's shirt as Tasuki and Chichiri entered the room. 

"Miaka-chan? What's wrong, no da?" Chichiri asked, not taking any notice to the mess on the floor. Tasuki pushed it with the toe of his boot, frowning. 

"S-she's gone. Sa-sakura left and it's all because I pried into her life." She mumbled miserably. Nuriko shrugged and passed the miko over to the bandit seishi since Tamahome was nowhere in sight, then quietly began to pick up the mess on the floor. 

"Miaka, you've got to stop blaming everything on yourself." Tasuki murmured as he tried to calm her down. 

"But…" She hiccupped and looked up at him. Tasuki shook his head and placed a finger over her lips. 

"Not another word. Right now, we have too go find her, ne? She couldn't have gone far." Tasuki urged, turning towards the monk who was sitting cross-legged on the bed. 

"Chichiri?" Miaka wiped her eyes and walked towards the man. 

"I can feel her chi, no da. It's strong." He commented before concentrating on the girl once again. Miaka's eyes shone with hope and Tasuki gently massaged her shoulders, knowing how much her friend meant to her.

"She's…" Chichiri began before a bright red light erupted him. Everyone shielded their eyes.

"With me."

"Taiitskun!?" Nuriko looked up at the old woman in shock at her sudden appearance. It was then he noticed the young girl next to her. 

"Sakura!!" Miaka happily ran up to the downcast girl and threw her arms around her. 

"Ohayo, Miaka." She whispered, a slight smile on her lips. Chichiri frowned, sensing her discomfort. 

"Oi, why was she with you?" Tasuki asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"She came to me with her answer." Taiitskun kept her stone face in place as she spoke. 

"Answer?" Nuriko stood, not quite understanding everything that was happening. 

"Hai, I've decided to go along with it. I'm going to be the human sacrifice to save the world." 

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AN: Dun dun dun! How will Chichiri feel about this decision? Will Taiitskun ever get a face-lift? Tune in next time to find out! ^-^ 


	8. Kisses and Problems, All in a Days Work ...

AN: ::gets down on knees:: I'm begging for reviews! Please please please! ^- ^;; Can anyone say desperate? Any how, I'm going to keep writing this, despite the fact nobody loves me and doesn't want to review. ^-^ You'll finally all find out what that potion was meant to do! Yay! This chapter was too long to proofread, so be nice of criticize, it's your choice ^-^  
  
I don't own Fushigi Yuugi, I only own Sakura.  
  
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Everyone stared at Sakura in shock. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Sakura just moved her gaze briefly across the room. Tamahome didn't really seem to give a damn, but she really couldn't care. Hotohori, Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko watched her, shocked at her abrupt decision. Tasuki's eyes were wide and Chichiri remained emotionless.  
  
'Must have learned that from Taiitskun.'  
  
Sakura thought bitterly. She rested her gaze, finally, on Miaka. Her eyes were wide and brimmed with tears, her bottom lip trembling. They held shock, anger, and most of all, hurt. She was hurt Sakura could even suggest doing such a think. Sakura fought back her own emotions, willing her face to remain calm and emotionless. Miaka teetered, and Tasuki rushed to steady her. Tamahome didn't even seem to notice. Only in his arms did she cry as he carefully brought her down on the ground and murmured in her ear.  
  
"Sakura? You're really….?" Nuriko spoke up for the rest of the group. She nodded curtly. Taiitskun continued to watch on.  
  
"I think I best be going now." She disappeared, leaving Sakura and the Suzaku seishi and miko alone.  
  
"Sakura, can I have a word with you?" Nuriko, again, turned to face the girl. Sakura nodded, uncertainly, before following Nuriko out of the room. She brushed past Chichiri as she left, and bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out. Didn't he even care that she was going to offer her life to save his!?  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Nuriko stopped her once a safe distance from the room. Sakura shrugged and looked at her feet.  
  
"Sakura, you're hurting Miaka and everyone else. Especially Chichiri." He growled. Sakura's head shot up and she glared at the seishi.  
  
"I've been nothing but a bitch to them. They have no reason to be upset."  
  
"But they do! I do! Why, Sakura? We could find another way, if you just talk to Taiitskun I'm sure…"  
  
"Stop it!" Sakura let a few tears slip past her barrier. Nuriko jumped in shock at her outburst.  
  
"Do you think I want to do this? Do you!? Well, I have a choice. Save everyone and everything that means the most to me and die, or watch everyone die with me. Do you honestly think I can do that!?" She screeched angrily, her hands balled into fists at her sides. Nuriko remained silent.  
  
"Tell me, Nuriko, what would you do?" She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper.  
  
"N-nani?" Nuriko was obviously not prepared for the question. Sakura laughed bitterly and held up her wrist and pulled back her sleeve, exposing the large scar that only Miaka knew about.  
  
"What would you do? Nuriko? I've already tried to end my life. What a better way to end it then to sacrifice myself for people who mean so much to me, even if they don't love me." She fought back more tears and let her arm fall limply to her side again. Nuriko was speechless. He didn't know what to say, or to do.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"I….I would do the same." He admitted, almost ashamed of himself. Sakura laughed slightly.  
  
"That's what I thought." She muttered before she turned and started off to the garden in the back.  
  
"We do love you, Sakura. More than you'll ever know."  
  
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Sakura sighed as she sat by the pond she dubbed "The Thinking Pond". She frowned and stared at her reflection. Her face was pale and her cheeks and eyes were red and puffy from the countless tears that she had been crying for the past half hour. Her hair was dis-shelved and her nose was stuffy. She glared at her reflection. She was a monster. She slapped angrily at the image of herself in the water, splashing some droplets on her face. The picture disappeared and was replaced by ripples. She heard some rustling behind her but ignored it. Let whoever it was come and yell. She had hurt too many people.  
  
"Sakura-chan?"  
  
"Chichiri." She acknowledged him, not turning around to look him in the face. She heard him pause, before taking the few steps to her and sitting down. They remained in silence before Chichiri decided to break it.  
  
"So, you're going through with this, no da?"  
  
"Hai." Sakura didn't trust her voice enough to say anything more. She had to stay strong. Pretend she didn't care. But it was hard.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why what?"  
  
"Why throw it all away?"  
  
"Why not? Am I to just sit here and watch you all die, and then die myself?" She asked bitterly, shivering as a breeze nipped at her arms. A blanket of warmth surrounded her and she looked over to see Chichiri's cape draped over her shoulders.  
  
"Arigatou." She whispered, pulling it tightly around her. She breathed in deeply and smiled faintly. It smelt like him.  
  
"We could find another way. We could stop this, no da."  
  
Sakura wanted so badly to believe him. She wanted to trust him and believe everything would be okay.  
  
"Iie, it won't be that easy." She shook her head and frowned, still gazing at the water. She heard some rustling beside her and refused to look. She sucked in a breath as Chichiri kneeled in front of her. He gently took her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. He had his mask off and was watching her intently.  
  
"We will find a way around it, no da. I won't let you die." He closed his eye and slowly leaned in. Sakura's eye went wide as she realized what he was about to do.  
  
'Move!'  
  
Sakura silently tried to get herself moving, but couldn't. She closed her eyes when his lips brushed against hers, gently. A shudder went through her as she pressed her lips more firmly against his. Chichiri was shocked that she was responding, but continued the kiss. His one hand still cupped Sakura's cheek while the other arm was wrapped around her waist. One of Sakura's arms braced herself on the ground; the other was running through his hair. Slowly, Chichiri pulled back and watched her. Her chest was heaving slightly and her eyes were still closed. Her lips, which were still slightly parted, were red and swollen. Her eyes fluttered open suddenly and she stared at the man before her in shock. Neither spoke.  
  
"Gomen, Sakura. It was a mistake, no da." Chichiri whispered, untangling himself from her and standing. This is when Chichiri learned his biggest mistake. Never ever kiss a girl and tell her it was a mistake.  
  
"A mistake?" Sakura croaked, her eyes filling with tears of anger. She jumped up, startling Chichiri.  
  
"So you're saying that that was a mistake? That….that…."  
  
"Kiss?"  
  
"That kiss we just shared mean nothing!?" Sakura was trembling now, and Chichiri's cape was on the ground, forgotten.  
  
"Sakura, I…." He started, but she shook her head furiously.  
  
"Iie! Just….leave me alone!" She turned and sprinted off, tears falling freely down her cheeks. Chichiri reached an arm out to her retreating figure, but didn't move. He mentally cursed himself as he bent down to pick up his cape.  
  
1 'Sakura…'  
  
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Sakura flung herself on her bed and sobbed. Life wasn't fair. It never was. She continued to cry until a voice interrupted her.  
  
"Sakura?"  
  
"Go away!" She knew it wasn't Chichiri, but she didn't care who it was, she was in no mood to talk.  
  
"Iie."  
  
Sakura's head shot up and she watched silently as Miaka shook her head and shut the door.  
  
"Sakura, I am going to talk to you, right now. And I will not leave until I get some answers." Miaka locked the door and sat down next to Sakura, gently rubbing her back. Sakura turned away, still ashamed for making her cry before.  
  
"Sakura, look at me. I'm not mad, it's okay. I shouldn't have pried so much. Please talk to me. What happened out there to make you so upset?" Miaka calmingly stroked her back, something she knew always worked for her. Sakura sniffled and looked at her.  
  
"I….we kissed." She blurted suddenly. Miaka blinked, then a small smile crept onto her lips.  
  
"You and Chichiri?"  
  
Sakura nodded and then buried her head back in her hands.  
  
"Sugoi! We were waiting for that to happen! So…." She urged her to continue. Sakura shook her head.  
  
"He said it was a mistake." She mumbled into her arm, making it hard to hear.  
  
"A mistake!?" Miaka pulled away and stared at her friend in shock. Chichiri would never say that. He couldn't. She saw the way he eyed Sakura from afar when he thought no one was looking.  
  
"Iie. I'm sure he didn't mean it. Shhh." Miaka picked up some of Sakura's hair and began to braid it. Sakura sniffled and pushed herself into a sitting position.  
  
"Do you mean it?" She wiped at her eyes. Miaka nodded and smiled.  
  
"Uh huh. I'll go talk to him next if you want."  
  
Sakura shook her head furiously, blushing. She didn't want to know what he thought. She was too embarrassed. Miaka nodded.  
  
"I will."  
  
"So, what about you and Tasuki?" Sakura smiled slyly, changing the subject. Miaka immediately stopped braiding and stared at Sakura, wide-eyed.  
  
"I…um, he….we…."  
  
"Miaka, I…I have to admit. The first night I was hear…I hear him talking to you, in your sleep."  
  
"Y-you did? What did he say?"  
  
Sakura hesitated. Was it her place to tell her what he said? She figured it was, since neither wanted to admit that they were attracted to each other.  
  
"Well, he said he loved you." Sakura looked into Miaka's eyes, studying her carefully. She gasped and a hand flew to cover her mouth.  
  
"He said….I can't….Tamahome…."  
  
"Is a bastard. I'm sorry Miaka, but look at how he's been treating you. Look at how Tasuki has been treating you. Who has been there when you've been upset?"  
  
"Tasuki." Miaka admitted, blushing and looking down. Sakura nodded, satisfied she was actually getting somewhere.  
  
"Sakura, I can't…."  
  
"Just think about it, Miaka. Onegai?" Sakura pouted and clasped her hands together in front of her chest. Miaka giggled and nodded as she stood.  
  
"I'll think about it." She whispered before opening the door. She turned around suddenly and looked back at Sakura.  
  
"And I didn't forget to talk to Chichiri!" She exclaimed, giggling. Sakura watched her in horror as she skipped out of the room, and ran straight into someone.  
  
"Gomen, Tamahome?" Miaka blushed, recalling her previous conversation with Sakura. He watched her coolly, trying to act nonchalant.  
  
"Hey, Miaka. I was just going to see how Sakura's doing." He smiled.  
  
"Oh, well that's nice of you. Good luck!" She chirped before continuing her skip down the hallway.  
  
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A knock on Sakura's door startled her out of her reverie. She stood and marched over to the door before flinging it open.  
  
"Miaka! I swear If you say one thing I'll…Tamahome?!" She gasped at the seishi towering in her doorway. She moved aside so he could step in. She closed the door behind him and turned to face him.  
  
"And to what do I owe the honor of this visit?" She questioned, approaching him. His eyes, which were calm a second ago, filled with rage and accusation.  
  
"I knew you were no good, but nobody listens to me." He growled angrily, taking a few strides closer to her. She backed up nervously, and unfortunately right into a wall.  
  
"W-what are you talking about?"  
  
"You're trying to turn Miaka against me! Aren't you!?"  
  
Sakura's eyes widened as she realized what this conversation was about. Her shock soon turned to anger.  
  
"I'm just pointing out someone who's a better bet for her. Someone who would treat her like she needs." Sakura said hotly, standing up straight to glare at him. Tamahome's hands found her neck and he slammed her against the wall. She let out a strangled cry as he tightened his grip.  
  
"This is all your fault!" He pulled her back off the wall and slammed it back in, hard. Sakura tried to scream, but nothing but little whimpers left her.  
  
"Stop…" She begged weakly. Her vision was blurring and everything was spinning on top of that. It was becoming harder to breath and her head and back ached. She used the last of her strength to scream out once more, praying someone would hear her and come to her rescue.  
  
"Stop!!"  
  
Suddenly, Sakura's body was surrounded in a purple glow. Tamahome immediately let go of his hold and stumbled back in shock. Instead of falling to the ground, Sakura floated a few feet in the air. Her eyes, which had been shut, opened and Tamahome screamed. They were black. Void of emotions and anything else.  
  
"Stop." She muttered before a powerful blast sent Tamahome flying into the wall across the room. He slumped over, unconscious. As quickly as the power had come, it disappeared. Sakura fell to the ground in a heap, like a puppet that's strings had been cut. Her eyes slowly turned back to their normal shade of green before she passed out.  
  
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AN: ::gasp:: This is a long chappy. I'm proud. ::sniffles:: I'd be even happier if ya'll reviewed! ::hint hint:: Anyway, What does Chichiri really think about the kiss? Will Miaka admit her feelings for Tasuki? Are Sakura and Tamahome going to be okay!? I have no idea! ^-^ But you, yes you kind reader, can help me! Gimmie some ideas on what should happen now! Please!?  
  
~*Neoshipper*~ 


	9. Appologies

AN: So…I'm updating like…all my stories, isn't that scary? ^-^;; Well, Again, I'm away, no work, so why not update? ^-^

Disclaimer: Yatta yatta yatta, I don't own Fushigi Yuugi, only Sakura. 

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"What the hell happened?"

"I dunno, she and Tamahome were out cold on the floor."

"She's coming around, no da."

Sakura moaned lightly and opened one eye, then the other. Her head was throbbing and everything was spinning. She stared at the ceiling for a minute before carefully turning her head to her right to see what al the commotion was about. 

"Sakura? Are you feeling okay?" Miaka stepped up to her and asked quietly. Sakura nodded, but immediately regretted it when a surge of pain ripped through her head. 

"Itai! What the hell happened?" She whined and placed a hand on her head. 

"Here, no da." Chichiri handed her a wet cloth. She offered a small smile, forgetting the previous kiss with him. Gingerly, she placed it on her forehead and sighed. 

"So…you don't know what happened?" Nuriko spoke up. Sakura though back, then shook her head as best she could. 

"Well, I saw Tamahome and he said he was going to talk to you." Miaka offered her piece of information, hoping it would strike a memory. It did. Sakura's eyes lit up and she quickly pushed herself into a sitting position, ignoring the pain in her head. 

"Yea, he came to see me…and….he attacked me…" Sakura wracked her brain while everyone sat there in shock. Tamahome never acted like that. 

"And then he….started to choke me. I told him to stop, and everything…went blank after that." She sighed in frustration and fell back against her pillow. 

"It's okay, we'll ask Tamahome when he wakes up." Chiriko assured the girl. As if on cue, Tamahome groaned and opened his eyes. 

"What happened?" He sat up and looked around. His eyes landed on Sakura and he jumped back. 

"Keep that demon away from me!" He pointed at Sakura. She blinked. 

"Demon? What the hell are you yapping about? I should be afraid of you after you came and almost choked me to death!" Sakura spat angrily, her eyes narrowing. 

"Calm down! Tamahome….do you remember what happened?" Hotohori took charge. Tamahome nodded, while glaring at Sakura. 

"She attacked me! I…came to see how she was doing, and she got pissed…she started glowing and her eyes…they were black! She threw me against the wall!" He refused to admit he had intentionally gone there to hurt her.

"That's a lie and you know it!" Sakura hissed, sitting up again. Chichiri calmly pushed her down. 

"Well….I don't know what else we can do…"

"Except ask Taiitskun!" Miaka exclaimed, startling everyone. 

"Why would Taiitskun know, Mi-chan?" Tasuki asked, speaking for the first time Miaka sighed and tears welled up in her eyes. 

"Because she knows what happened to Yui-chan." She said miserably. Tasuki placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and she smiled. 

"Yea, that's right, no da. We can all go to Taiitskun and…"

"Or I can just come here." With a poof of smoke, Taiitskun appeared before them with a hand mirror. Everyone sweatdropped. She always seemed to be doing that. 

"Minna, come here." She instructed. They nodded and everyone gather around the mirror. Once everyone was settled, an image appeared in the screen. It was of Tamahome. He had just walked into Sakura's room. Tamahome tensed when the mirror image of him walked over to Sakura and tried to strangle her. Miaka gasped and covered her mouth in horror as she watched the scene. She couldn't believe Tamahome would do something like that to her friend! The seishi's terrified looks became those of awe when Sakura began to glow an unnatural shade of purple. Her eyes opened and sure enough, they were black. Energy shot out at Tamhome and he flew into the wall. They watched Sakura fall to the ground and pass out. The images ended and they were faced with a black screen. 

"How could you, Tamahome?" Miaka whispered, looking at the man. He looked down at the ground, ashamed. Sakura sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. 

"What the hell does it all mean?" She looked up at Taiitskun. 

"That was the power potion."

"Power potion?"

"The liquid you drank back at the market." Taiitskun confirmed. Sakura's eyes widened as she realized what she was talking about. 

"But then….Oh my god." She whispered. She had done that? Would she do it again? Who would she hurt this time? Miaka? Or Tasuki? The other seishi? Or Chichiri?" She felt her throat constrict. She needed air. She abruptly flung herself off the bed and ran down the hallway and out of the palace. 

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Sakura collapsed on he ground. She didn't even bother to try to make it to the pond, so she was in the garden. Shock overcame her at thoughts of her unconsciously hurting her friends. She whimpered and curled into a ball. 

"Sakura-chan?" Chichiri walked over to the young girl and stopped next to her. His heart ached knowing what she was going through, and he wasn't helping much either. Miaka had indeed gone to talk to him last night. Told him how upset Sakura had been. He removed his mask and looked at the girl next to him. 

"Sakura, you couldn't help it, no da." He said gently. She shook her head wildly to each side. 

"I could have! If I didn't drink that damn potion none of this would ever freaking happen! If I didn't open the god damn book, then I wouldn't have met you and then…" She was cut short when Chichiri's lips crashed down on hers'. She gasped, eyes wide, as he caressed her cheek. Her shock turned to happiness as she slowly responded to the kiss. She wrapped both arms around his neck, playing with his hair. Chichiri kept one hand on her cheek and the other on the small of her back. Sakura boldly opened her mouth. Chichiri hesitated before slipping his tongue in. Both shivered when their tongues met. Sakura moaned lightly as he continued to deepen the kiss. All her fears were momentarily forgotten. Slowly, Chichiri drew back. Sakura opened her eyes and unconsciously licked her lips. Sakura looked down at her hands, blushing. She didn't know what to think.

"Don't say that, Sakura. I'm glad I met you." Chichiri murmured. Sakura struggled to make words form in her mouth. 

"What happened to the 'no da'?" She teased. He grinned. 

"I don't always say it, no da." His smile widened as she raised a skeptical eyebrow. Slowly, he pulled her close to him. She looked up, confused. 

"Gomen, Sakura-chan. I didn't mean to make you upset last night. I just…" 

"Shhh…" Sakura placed a finger over his lips. She smiled and leaned back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her midsection as they both looked up at the sky. 

"Aishteru, Chichiri." She whispered before her eyes slid closed. He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"Aishteru, Sakura-chan." He said before gently scooping her up and carrying her to her room.

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AN: ::Holds up sign that says 'Say Awwww!':: ^-^ Anyway, Sorry this chapter is so short, but I already updated two of my other stories, and wrote a new one! ^-^;; Anyway, enjoy.

~*Neoshipper*~


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